The Marquette University College of Business Administration on Wednesday, Nov. 1, will host the annual Business Leaders Forum. This year’s keynote speaker will be Steve Cannon, CEO of AMB Group LLC, the parent company of Arthur Blank’s for-profit businesses, including the National Football League’s Atlanta Falcons, PGA TOUR Superstore, Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United, Mountain Sky Guest Ranch and Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The luncheon event will begin with registration at 11:45 a.m. in the Alumni Memorial Union Monaghan Ballrooms. Tickets, which start at $40 for individuals, are available online.
Cannon, who will speak on “Leading with Vision, Kindness and Optimism,” was formerly president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA where he was responsible for leading operations that generated record sales with annual revenues exceeding $20 billion. During his tenure, MBUSA achieved a first-ever No. 1 ranking on the American Customer Satisfaction Index and was also lauded as one of the best places to work by Fortune Magazine five years in a row. Cannon oversaw MBUSA’s successful headquarters relocation from New Jersey to the metro Atlanta area, in addition to crafting a sports sponsorship strategy that closely aligned the premium brand with properties reflective of its category leadership and brand position.
An honors graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point with a bachelor’s degree in economics, Cannon is Airborne Ranger qualified and served as 1st Lieutenant in West Germany during the fall of the Iron Curtain. During his time in the Army, he also served five years as an artillery officer.